Share this

Prospects for Apple Music in China

Last week saw the introduction of Apple Music, iTunes Movies and iBooks in China, a move that reinforces the importance of this market to Apple’s growth plans.

Overall, about 1 in 5 online adults in China now own an iPhone and, as our chart shows, Apple’s new services could be met with significant demand from these users. In the last month, for example, almost a third of Chinese iPhone owners paid to download a film or an e-book online. What’s more, around a quarter of Chinese iPhone users have paid for a music streaming service in the last month.

But while these figures may look promising, Apple will have to deal with stiff competition from local providers. Platforms like QQMusic, Baidu Music and NetEase Music all offer free music streaming and, although Chinese iPhone owners are more likely than the average to be paying for music content, Apple Music will need to work to convince consumers that it is worth their while to migrate to a paid subscription plan.